Winter Cabin Elucidation
by Mars1040
Summary: High School AU. Every puzzle has a solution, every question has an answer and every mystery has a story behind it. Companion piece to Winter Cabin Conundrum.
1. Prologue

**PSA:**  
><strong>This fic is meant to be read with <span>Winter Cabin Conundrum<span>.  
>Please read up to and including <em>Chapter 8<em> to understand this chapter.**

Riku: A companion piece to Conundrum?  
>Mars: Well even Higurashi has its Answer Arcs. Some things are gonna need some clarification...especially with the current part...<br>Axel: Spoilers!  
>Mars: Right, and before you ask: <em>Elucidation - explanation that makes something clear; clarification.<em> Also, if it wasn't clear enough, this chapter is from **Vanitas'** point of view, but the PoV's will change every chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.

Winter Cabin Elucidation  
><strong>Prologue<strong>

I was showing the man known as Braig to the door. He had just had a meeting with my master about using this cabin as a venue for a "leadership conference". Strange enough, it was at my master's request. I wondered exactly what he was planning, especially with this man. He had air of arrogance about him, one that I found annoying.

"So," he spoke to me in such a smug manner. "I haven't seen you before, where did you come from?"

"That is none of your concern," I informed him.

"Wow, attitude," his reply was spoken in the same manner as the question. "You might wanna work on that for when my students get here."

This man, a teacher? I refused to believe it. Then again, it is possible for him to be a public school teacher. From what I read about school, those teachers seemed to be more…lax. By the time I showed him to the door, I thought it hadn't come soon enough. I was glad to rid this man from the cabin. I went to confront my master on who he was and what he needed him for.

"Kingdom High School," he said when I returned to his room. "By sheer coincidence, some of the youths whose lives I affected attend that school, including _her_."

Xion. My early memories were all but wiped out but no matter what, I could still recall her. After all, our hearts are connected.

But I could not understand why my master wanted the other youths, surely they have some sort of vendetta against him. I inspected the list and I noted the first name on the list, the name Braig had objected to.

"Who is this Sora?" I inquired.

"He is very important to you, though I have never met him yet," he explained. "It will take some time to set up the connection."

"Connection…" I repeated.

I could not understand exactly what these 'connections' that he was talking about, only that it is very important and that it would take some time.

"But master," I began. "Surely three days is not enough time."

"We'll have to extend it using your magic," he informed me.

"But I cannot send someone else back, you know this."

"I know how your magic works Vanitas, I believe we can get Sora to help you."

"But how?"

"I must perform the ultimate sacrifice—by giving up my life."

My eyes widened. He could not have been serious.

"Most of those youths—even Braig himself—have a vendetta against me. Surely, one or more of them are more than willing to kill me, given the opportunity."

"But master, is this wise? There is always a chance for it to fail."

He ignored my comment, "You don't speak like a teenage boy, you will have to mingle with children your own age to get a firm grasp on their language. Otherwise someone will suspect that you are not what you appear to be."

Like a good servant I obeyed and I trusted my master. After all, he was the one who called me to him, he was the one who knew all that I did not know about myself. For the time being, I had to practice my language so that I sounded just like the students that would be coming here.

Axel: You sure this is an answer arc? I'm left with more questions than ever.  
>Riku: Same here.<br>Mars: It's meant to explain that Xehanort had the three days planned.  
>Axel: And if you wanna know what that means, read <span>Winter Cabin Conundrum<span>!  
>Mars: Which you should've done after reading the PSA at the top.<p> 


	2. Part I - Xehanort

**PSA: **  
><strong>This fic is meant to be read with <span>Winter Cabin Conundrum.<span>**  
><strong>THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR <em>CHAPTER 4<em>, SO IF YOU HAVE NOT READ UP TO THERE, DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER.**

Axel: You think anyone will listen?  
>Mars: Odds are, they'll see it and turn away.<br>Tidus: So why don't you update Conundrum letting the followers know this exists?  
>Mars: Because Fridays are Fridays Tidus.<br>Axel: So what's with the title of the chapter?  
>Mars: Well it's formatted like so: Part of Conundrum - The person who's death I'm explaining.<br>Axel: Right, so we're gonna see how Xehanort died the first time.  
>Mars: The PoV for this chapter is from the murderer, don't know who that is? Finish Chapter 4.<p>

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts...at all...except for copies of the games.

Winter Cabin Elucidation  
><span>**Part I – Xehanort**

Vanitas opened the door to Xehanort's room and let me in. In hindsight, I should've found it weird that he didn't follow me in the room, that he just let me in and closed the door behind me. Xehanort was standing right in front of me, expecting me to show up.

"You wanted to see me Braig?" He asked.

Yeah, I wanted to see you, you old coot.

"I was just wondering what you had in mind for Sora," I said nonchalantly, hiding my contempt for the old man.

"I need him," he replied.

For what? For more experiments? You wanna ruin his life just like you almost did for Roxas? What you've probably already done to Xion?

"You could be a little more specific than that," I baited, trying to get more information out of him.

"If you must know, I've managed to make progress on my replica program. I need a subject to sample and make a connection to, in order complete my current ones," he explained. "I'm not sure if he'll survive."

"What if he does?"

I expected more talking, but all the old man did was laugh, "He probably won't. But we all have to make sacrifices in order to make progress."

I got mad. There was no way I was about to let this geezer outright kill one of my students, especially one with as much promise as Sora had. There was a knife on the end table right next to the door. I didn't think, I took it and jammed it right in the old man's chest. Instead of groaning in pain, he just laughed, and I twisted the knife, anything to shut him up.

When he finally stopped laughing, I pushed him on the floor and I felt the weight of what I just did. To be honest, I wasn't too fussed. Sure, I just committed murder and I'd probably go to jail for this, but this is Xehanort we're talking about. He deserved to die, I did the world a favor. But for now, I had to get the blame off me. I looked at my clothes and by some stroke of luck, I didn't get any of the old man's blood on me. I looked at the knife, I had to get rid of it.

I opened the door to the room, made sure no one else was in the hallway and left. I had to pick a room to dispose the knife in. There was a music room on this floor, no one would be interested in going in here, so I tossed the knife in there. I looked at my watch, it was almost time for another workshop, I had to be there to set up. I went down to the workshop room, it was empty so I decided to set up a little early, with Xehanort being the furthest thing from my mind.

Mars: Okay, you get all that?  
>Axel: No...I'm more confused than ever, what the hell is replica program?<br>Mars: I might just let the readers use their imagination on that.  
>Axel: So what's next? More Xehanort deaths?<br>Tidus: Or we might see how Ienzo dies.  
>Mars: Not until the current part in Conundrum ends.<p> 


	3. Part I - Aqua

**PSA:**  
><strong>This fic is meant to be read with <span>Winter Cabin Conundrum<span>.  
>Please read up to and including <em>Chapter 8<em> to understand this chapter.  
>ALSO: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SPOILERS UP TO <em>CHAPTER 7<em>, SO IF YOU HAVE NOT READ UP TO THERE, DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER.**

Mars: This was requested by Flame Chimera  
>Link: Wait, that review was an hour ago, I don't think it's even displayed on the site yet!<br>Mars: What can I say? This was short and I work fast.  
>Axel: And you were eager to post something on the site?<br>Link: Maybe you should lift that Friday policy.  
>Mars: Better I give them one every week or keep them starving for weeks at a time. This is from <strong>Aqua<strong>'s point of view.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.

Winter Cabin Elucidation  
><strong>Part I - Aqua<strong>

I watched Luxord enter the staircase to return downstairs, wondering why he would even think that I would be remotely interested in him. He hung out with the drug dealers, no one in their right mind would want to associate with them, unless they didn't know or were dealing themselves. Then again, anyone who didn't know they were dealers just wanted to be like them, to hang out with them because they were popular. If they knew the reason they were so popular, they wouldn't want to be like them anymore.

It was getting cold—I was on the roof in a snowstorm after all. I decided to go down to breakfast. I started walking toward the other staircase on the roof and I was surprised to see Naminé standing there.

"Naminé, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"You know, don't you?" She inquired.

"Um…" I didn't know what to say.

It took me a moment to realize what she was talking about. The other day, I saw her doing business with Saïx, she was a dealer too. I was more disappointed than anything, Naminé seemed like a good girl, once with a promising future who wouldn't associate with those creeps. Saix probably saw me watching them and told her.

"You're going to tell, aren't you?" She said.

"Naminé," I approached her, wanting to comfort her. "You don't have to associate with them, there's better—"

"No, I have to!" She snapped, "I have to buy my way out of that place, you don't know what it's like!"

I immediately knew what she was talking about, I realized that he must live in Xehanort's foster care. It's a horrible place, they experiment on the young children and they only get worse when you become an adult. The only way out besides someone taking you in or adopting you is to buy your way out. Ventus was lucky that our master, Eraqus took him in when he was younger. Was Naminé so desperate that she thought drug dealing was her only way out? It couldn't be, I wanted to let her know that.

"Naminé, it's your only choice—" I got even closer, but in hindsight, I guess I shouldn't have done that.

"Get away!"

She pushed me back into the wooden railing and it gave way and broke. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, as I was falling backwards off the roof, I saw Naminé reach out to me, not meaning to me to fall off. I reach for her hand, but I couldn't grab it, I was helpless as I fell.

My last thoughts were of Terra and Ven.

What would happen to them if I was gone?

Link: That was sad.  
>Mars: I didn't think Namine did it on purpose anyway.<br>Axel: Namine has it pretty rough, doesn't she?  
>Mars: You think?<br>Link: By the way, what are you doing with your spare time?  
>Mars: Learning music and stitching Axel's face on a shirt.<br>Axel: Really?


	4. Part II - Xehanort

**PSA:**  
><strong>This fic is meant to be read with <span>Winter Cabin Conundrum<span>.  
>Please read up to and including <em>Chapter 9<em> to understand this chapter.  
>ALSO: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SPOILERS UP TO <em>CHAPTER 9<em>, SO IF YOU HAVE NOT READ UP TO THERE, DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER.**

Riku: Well, didn't this take a while?  
>Mars: Yeah.<br>Axel: The readers kind of need this since Conundrum doesn't say who killed Xehanort in Part II.  
>Mars: It's from <strong>Marluxia<strong>'s point of view since it doesn't actually indicate who this is in the fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts characters.

Winter Cabin Elucidation  
><strong>Part II – Xehanort<strong>

I was wandering around on the top floor, it was almost time for the first workshop to begin, but I figured I could be a few minutes late. After all, this is my third time on the trip, these workshops end up sounding the same anyway. I looked down the corridor and I found an open door, it was much more elaborate than the other doors on this floor, so I assumed that room is of some importance.

I looked inside and I saw the owner of the cabin, Xehanort with his back to the door. I felt a boiling rage consume me. Just the image of his back reminded me of what he did to me, to Larxene. Sure, our child was conceived as a result of two experimenting teenagers. Sure, we were not ready to take on a burden like that—especially not me after I had decided I was asexual after the event. Still, that gave him no right to take our daughter and conduct those inhuman experiments on her.

I looked to the end table near the door, there was a knife, just lying there. Without thinking, I took the knife and crept up to the old man. Once I got close enough, I smothered his mouth with my free hand and used my other hand to slit his throat. When I released him, he went down silently. It took me a moment to realize the gravity of what I had just done.

I committed cold-blooded murder.

I went pale. Sure, I have done some morally-gray deeds, but none like this. I looked at my clothes, fortunately, no blood was on them. I looked at the knife; I had to hide it somehow. Yes, I could get Larxene to throw it into the pool, the fingerprints and blood would wash away in the chlorine. But for now, I had to hide it in our room, away from Aqua's prying eyes. I sprinted down into the room and hid the knife in my luggage, wrapped in a red towel I had packed myself.

I looked at the time, the workshop was about to start. There was no doubt I would be late. But perhaps no one would figure out that I killed Xehanort. After all, there was no witnesses and no apparent motive.

Axel: Wait...I thought Marluxia was gay.  
>Mars: I never said he was, Sora just said he wasn't into girls.<br>Riku: Unreliable narrator I guess.


End file.
